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From Out of the Blue, a Call to Represent the U.S.

By Brian Sciaretta May 27, 2013 11:00 pmMay 27, 2013 11:00 pm

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When the United States under-20 national team headed to France over the weekend for its final preparations for the World Cup in Turkey, which begins next month, it had a new member: Alonso Hernandez, who is looking forward to making his international debut after recently breaking into the first team at the Mexican club Monterrey.

Only a few months ago, the Texas-born Hernandez was one of several hundred players in the youth levels of Mexico’s national league hoping to carve out a professional career. As the summer begins, however, the 19-year-old has the rare opportunity to play in two prominent FIFA events: the Club World Cup and the U-20 World Cup.

Hernandez’s rise began April 19, when Monterrey Coach Víctor Manuel Vucetich called him up to play in a league game against Santos Laguna.

“I was working with the first team so I knew I had the chance,” Hernandez said. “I had been playing well in practice and with the U-20s. I also knew when the chance was given to me, I was going to prove my worth.”

Monterrey lost to Santos Laguna, 1-0, but Hernandez made his debut by coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute. His performance earned positive reviews in the Mexican news media and he regularly made the matchday rosters for Monterrey the rest of the season, including in the final of the Concacaf Champions League, which Monterrey won for the third year in a row.

Before one of Monterrey’s recent games in the beginning of May, Vucetich informed Hernandez that United States U-20 Coach Tab Ramos and his staff had been monitoring his progress and planned to call him up ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

“We were having dinner before a game and my coach called me to talk to me,” Hernandez said. “He told me the U.S. was interested in me and I was going to have a chance. I was very surprised. I never knew anything about playing for the national team.”

Indeed, Hernandez has never represented the United States internationally at any age level, and he was unaware he was even known to the U.S. Soccer coaching staff. Soon after hearing the news from Vucetich, he received a call from Ramos, who invited him to play with the team in the Toulon tournament that starts this week. The event is the team’s final preparation for the U-20 World Cup.

While the cycle is late for the U-20s, Hernandez said he was excited to have the opportunity to travel to France and to try to earn a place on the team that will continue on to Turkey. In Toulon, the United States will face France, Colombia, Congo and South Korea. Shortly after the tournament, Ramos will name his team for the World Cup, which starts June 21.

“I’m very excited,” Hernandez said. “I don’t have the words to express how I feel about it. I’m a little nervous. It’s the first time I’ve ever been with the national team. It’s the opportunity to show my coach what I can do.”

Hernandez was born in El Paso, the son of Mexican-born parents. While still in high school in 2010, he crossed the border into Juarez for a tryout at Indios, who were then in Mexico’s second division. He impressed in his time at Indios and gradually moved up in their youth system.

By 2011, at age 17, Hernandez was earning minutes with the Indios’ first team but the club dissolved shortly after the season and he was out of a contract. One of his coaches at Indios quickly arranged a trial at Monterrey for Hernandez, and he signed with the club at the start of 2012.

After spending most last year with the Monterrey’s U-17 team, Hernandez was fast tracked by the club. He began to train mostly with the first team. Next year, he is aiming to be a consistent contributor for Monterrey, which will be participating in the Club World Cup in the fall by virtue of winning the Concacaf Champions League.

“Hopefully I’ll get more minutes next year,” Hernandez said. “It’s all in the work and I how I play in the games. I’ll have to give everything.”

While Hernandez will probably be the only American in this year’s Club World Cup, he insisted that right now he was focused entirely on the U-20 World Cup, calling it a childhood dream to play for the United States.

“I always wanted to play for the U.S. national team ever since I was little,” Hernandez said. “In the 2002 World Cup, I was cheering for the U.S. team against Mexico. I even had a poster then of the U.S. team with all their players.”

Hernandez said that he does not know any of his potential U-20 teammates personally, but that he watched the team during U-20 World Cup qualifying in February and was impressed with the squad’s skill. He expressed confidence in the team’s chances despite its difficult World Cup group: Spain, France and Ghana.

“I’m really confident and I really like what I’ve seen in this U.S. team from watching them on T.V.,” Hernandez said. “There are a lot of good players. We can win against whoever is in front of us.”

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